DONETSK, Ukraine -- Amid reports of casualties on both sides as Ukrainian forces battle pro-Russian militias in Sloviansk, other armed separatists continued to seize or attempt to seize other government buildings or strategic locations in Donetsk Oblast, home to ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and 10 percent of Ukraine's population.
Here's what we know about each city on April 13:
Donetsk
Pro-Russian separatists control the oblast government center and the oblast Interior Ministry. There was little visible presence of Ukrainian police or military in Donetsk and repeated attempts to reach people working for Donetsk Oblast governor Serhiy Taruta today were unsuccessful.
Mariupol
In Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast's second largest city, Novosti Donbassa reported that several hundred separatists seized the local city administration building, citing eyewitnesses. The seizure occurred during a rally of demonstrators who favor secession from Ukraine and formation of the independent People's Republic of Donetsk.
According to http://www.0629.com.ua, Mariupol city news website, and Novost.dn.ua, a regional news website, around 1,000 local separatists have seized the city council building in Mariupol. Here are their combined reports:
As separatists stormed the building, Ukrainian flags were taken down and the Russian flag and the flag of so-called Donetsk Republic were put up instead. A police cordon had to step back afar getting pushed backed by the crowd. Unidentified people in masks stormed the building, broke the windows and got inside.
A huge barricade is being built in front of the building. Protesters use everything they can find to build the barricade men take concrete slabs from the sidewalk, others bring furniture from the administration building.
Police forces did not do anything. As the barricade was being finished, women protected the entrance. Meanwhile, new people’s deputies were being selected from the crowd. A huge poster over the building’s central entrance reads “People’s Republic of Donetsk.” Rally participants want help from Russia.
Sloviansk
Armed pro-Russian separatists still held the police headquarters and local Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters in Sloviansk. Separatists inside were talking with journalists, and one claimed to the Kyiv Post that numerous casualties took place in a battle between Ukrainian police and pro-Russian separatists outside the city, possibly at one of the roadside checkpoints. But that information could not be confirmed. Interior Ministry Arsen Avakov said that one Ukrainian state security officer was killed and five others were wounded on the side of government forces in an "anti-terrorist" in Sloviansk, but the separatists told the Kyiv Post that the confrontation did not take place in the city or at the police station. Ukrainian military helicopters were flying over the area. The separatists are protected by some 1,000 pro-Russian demonstrators and roadside checkpoints.
Yenakievo
Pro-Russian separatists were holding rallies, but thus far only the local city administration building has been seized, according to the Kyiv Post journalist on the scene. The mayor of Yenakievo came to the city council building and wavered on which side that he is on when questioned by the Kyiv Post. The Donetsk Republic separatist flag is flying over the administration headquarters.
Kramatorsk
After a shootout, pro-Russian armed separatists seized the police station and reportedly also have control for the local city administration building and the local airport.
